- Julie

Ms. Allison not only can stick change, safety pins, and spoons to her body, but also can blow out lightbulbs, make television screens flicker, set off battery-operated toys, shut down cash registers, and trigger car alarms through her mere proximity.

Scientists seem to think that Ms. Allison’s personal electromagnetic field (we all have them) is just a lot stronger than normal and that the cause may be stress. Through the use of a journal, Ms. Allison has found that her powers are strongest around the time of her menstrual cycle. She also noted that sometimes she emits a positive charge, and sometimes a negative one, meaning sometimes she attracts and sometimes she repels objects.

Sometimes Ms. Allison’s condition embarrasses her, like when she went to a grocery store and the registers went out and the clerk shouted at her and accused her of putting a voodoo curse on the machine.

Other alleged human magnets include Romanian hospital worker Aurel Raileanu, Malaysian farmer Tan Kok Thai (who claims to also attract rocks, plastic, rubber, wood, and bananas . . .), the Tenakaev family of Russia (three generations of human magnets!), and Malaysian Liew Thow Lin, among others.

There even has been a human magnet competition in Vietnam this year as part of a celebration of Vietnam’s department for the research and study of energy. In 1990, 300 people alleging special powers of attraction showed up at the Superfields conference in Bulgaria.

So what causes these mysterious powers?  Why do some people only seem to have magnetic power, while others also have powers that attract other kinds of items?  Are they all hoaxes, or do some people really have a chemical makeup that gives them these abilities?

I don’t know, but for a few years in the early 1990s, I seemed to have the power to affect printers strangely. In various locations, documents I would send to print would come out with characters transposed or strange parts of the page missing, and sometimes my mere proximity seemed to make printers spontaneously reboot or print things that were sent to the queue a long time ago. I have no idea what this was all about, and affecting only printers seemed so random. I often wished I could harness whatever it was that was causing it and put it to use for practical purposes, but I never did figure it out, and it seems to be gone now. I guess I have lost my youthful magnetism.

- Julie

Sources:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3102005/Iron-mam-Brenda-Allison-a-is-human-magnet.html
http://letmeget.com/blog/brenda-allison-magnet-woman
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1304481/The-human-magnet-Mother-power-make-metal-stick-body.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article293333.ece
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2004%2F8%2F13%2Fnation%2F8654247&sec=nation
http://kenh14.vn/c44/t11/20100510120044801/nguoi-nam-cham-hut-phien-da-42kg-pha-ky-luc-viet-nam.chn
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/human-magnet-contest-held-in-vietnam.html
http://www.today.az/news/interesting/72423.html

Grainger took a picture of his chicken, Gloria, and saw the face of Jesus in the feathers in the picture – see the green circle. Gloria the chicken, who was the sole survivor of a 19-chicken massacre by foxes, was NOT named Gloria as an expression of thanks for perhaps divine intervention, but rather was named after Gloria Gaynor, the disco queen who sang “I Will Survive.” Perhaps this was enough to irritate the heavens into sending an image of Jesus to appear on the bird’s feathers. Now, why a chicken should be a vessel for the message of Christian salvation, I can’t explain. This makes no more sense to me than if he appeared on a flag at a water park or on someone’s x-ray.

Of course, someone sees a face in a pattern and POOF! It must be Jesus! Well, I see another face in those feathers. I see a cat face! (See pink circle.) So what’s THAT supposed to mean? Maybe it’s not a cat and is the face of the fox that didn’t manage to make this bird its chicken dinner. Maybe Jesus likes to travel with a pet.

So the next time you are looking to find Jesus, it seems there are three simple steps:

1. Take a picture of something.

2. Squint hard to find some pattern in the picture that looks like a face.

3. Call the pattern an image of Jesus. Done!

Don’t ask me what you’re supposed to do with Jesus when you find him. Alerting the media seems to be the popular thing to do, though I would think consulting a priest might be a little more appropriate, though way less entertaining.

- Julie

P.S. Do check out the Halesowen News link below. The reporter clearly had a good time writing the story.

Sources:
http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/8286801.Jesus_Christ_super_chicken_is_heav_hen_sent_for_amazed_Rowley_Regis_policeman/?ref=mr
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/835932-jesus-found-in-chickens-feathers

Stonehenge surrounded by roads

I had been warned that visiting Stonehenge could be a bit of a letdown. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get close to the stones unless I was on a special tour, and I heard it didn’t look as massive in person as it does in pictures. These things were all true, but it was the nearness of several roads that really surprised me. It’s as if it’s being surrounded like a drive-through pharmacy that needs access on all sides.

Maybe Stonehenge is a little miffed about being penned in like a McDonald’s and has decided to reveal some extra goodies in an attempt to expand.

Just under 1,000 yards away from the familiar stones, archaeologists recently found another circular structure, though this one is entirely below ground at this time.  The scientists found a circle of large pits, now filled with earth, that they think once held a wooden poles forming a circle. Don’t call it Woodhenge, though. That name has already been claimed by an other nearby ring.

This discovery is the most significant at the site in 50 years, and it adds to an ever increasing network of circles, roads, earthworks, and tombs in the Wiltshire area. The BBC has a nifty video and article about the find. Check out the whole area on Google Maps, too, and use Google Earth if you can. It is really something to see how many other ancient structures there are so close to the famous Stonehenge.

I hope this new discovery helps to highlight both the extent to which this is an important historical site and the extent of what we have yet to discover about the site and its surroundings. Maybe the most disappointing thing about visiting Stonehenge was how so much attention had been paid to providing a gift shop (which was very well stocked, and yes, I bought things) while there was hardly any educational information available.  Even English Heritage seems to think the way Stonehenge is presently encroached upon by roads and even its own parking lot and gift shop does a terrible disservice to the monument itself and its visitors and is seeking funding to have the area redeveloped so that the environmental impact of modern times is greatly lessened. Unfortunately, due to harsh economic times, the government had to withdraw its financial support from the project in June 2010.  I hope that the continued discovery of additional apparently interconnected sites will help fund the plan.

Please follow the English Heritage and Stonehenge Visitor Center site links below for information on the redevelopment plans.

- Julie

Sources:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/environmental-impacts/
http://www.stonehengevisitorcentre.org/#/home
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10718522
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2010-07-22-stonehenge-monument_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Professor Kim claimed he invented a contraption of filters and water purification cards that would give the water healing properties. He claimed that medical properties could be made into digital signals and that those signals could be radiated onto water, thereby giving the water special healing ability. That’s why different waters could be programmed to treat different conditions, he said.

The people at the Discover blog had a field day with the total scientific quackery of this scheme.

In a totally non-shocking turn of events, people complained to the police that the devices the bought from Kim failed to cure their ills. What is shocking is that Kim managed to get enough people (5,000!) to buy the stuff that he made the equivalent of $1.3 million in US dollars.

Then again, I know a lot of otherwise intelligent people who seem to think the Master Cleanse is a healthy and medically sound way of ridding the body of toxins. You know, just because something doesn’t kill you . . .

- Julie

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10472269.stm
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/07/01/shocker-inventor-of-a-diy-holy-water-device-charged-with-fraud/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiscoverMag+%28Discover+Magazine%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Scary Question Number 8:

What type of person do demons usually go after?

If you have to post this question on a message board, you clearly haven’t been watching enough monster movies and tv shows. You could just about trip over one in your living room these days, so it’s not that hard. I do wonder if this person is asking this question in order to find out how to attract or to ward off demons. Maybe they just want to know if they go after people with blue eyes who enjoy long walks on the beach.

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100530101329AATsybb

Scary Question Number 9:

Q: Have you ever personally experienced something clearly supernatural or preternatural?

A: I once had a panic attack and thought I was possessed. Turns out I just can’t take pseudaphedrine, which is what they use from cold medicine to make meth, and can have quite the effect on the nervous system! But that’s the closest I’ve ever come to anything “paranormal.”

I think this may be my favorite question yet. I accidentally took a double dose of pseudoephedrine once, and it sure as hell didn’t feel like anything supernatural. I had a lot of energy, but I didn’t feel like I could lift a truck off of anyone, so it’s a good thing I didn’t need to. My house sure got clean. How anyone could think feeling jittery and kind of ill while unable to sit still could be possession beats me. That would be one lame-ass demon. Maybe its sister would make her possessed people temporarily feel socially awkward and bad at math.

Maybe I’m just not very creative for thinking “perhaps these are side effects of that new medication I just took” instead of “oh my God, surely I am possessed!” whenever I feel a little strange after taking pills.

Source: http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=105995

Scary Question Number 10:

What is a spell to turn yourself into a witch?

Really? If that was how it worked, how exactly would that work? Wouldn’t you have to be a witch to know and be able to perform spells?

I’ve never even heard of spells to turn anyone into a witch. A toad, yes. Or even a hoagie.

Maybe this is like trying to use Cliff’s Notes for a thesis, or buying a term paper off of the internet (and shame on those of you who do that, by the way)? A shortcut to becoming a witch to avoid the pesky birthright requirement or actual study and practice?

Also, if you ask questions this silly, and are in to loopholes and shortcuts, good luck ever having the sense to practice effective witchery. Might want to check the status of your homeowner’s insurance . . .

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100624163432AAoxQpa

Have you seen any questions about the supernatural that made you cringe or slap your forehead? Please send them in for mockery and snarkiness!

- Julie

The show will involve the judge hearing cases and consulting with psychic mediums, tarot card readers, astrologists, etc. for advice, and will even have them give sworn testimony, before he rules.  In a press release, Seidlin said,

“I’m opening my courtroom to those who deal in paranormal activities as a way to help uncover evidence and assist me in determining who’s telling the truth,” said Seidlin. “Psychics, clairvoyants, and the telepathic are much like judges in that they possess tremendous intuition. I often rely on my intuition to determine who’s being truthful and who’s lying, and in ‘Psychic Court’ I’ll benefit from the assistance of those who are experienced in the paranormal. It’s going to be amazing.”

Here’s how the show plans to use the paranormal to seek out justice for our entertainment:

“Psychic Court” will employ the services of top practitioners from the most popular paranormal categories, including:

*Mediums – Who will channel and communicate directly with the dead to gain new evidence.

*Astrologists – Who will uncover character defects based on the alignment of stars.

*Tarot Card Readers – Who will expose lies with the help of their mystical deck of cards.

*Remote Viewers – Who will visit the time and place of the conflict to provide eyewitness testimony.

*Faith-Based Sensitives – Who will consult with angels and saints to garner information critical to the case.

The show, which publicists are calling “the fourth dimension of court proceedings,” has not yet been picked up by a network.

With this kind of show in development, I suppose we’re not too far from seeing all kinds of paranormal-related shows on the Game Show Network. Maybe a new version of “To Tell The Truth” involving people who claim to have psychic powers? Shows to see which contestant can levitate something first or highest?

Well, points to the producers for finding a way to cheapen the paranormal and the justice system simultaneously in a way that makes the “Paranormal Cops” or “Psychic Detectives” shows seem like they ought to be archived by The Smithsonian Institute.

- Julie

Sources:
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-06-21/news/fl-judge-seidlin-pyschic-court-20100621_1_anna-nicole-smith-larry-seidlin-judge-larry
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/psychic-court-signs-judge-larry-seidlin-of-anna-nicole-smith-fame-96791639.html

For those of you currently saying “Ewwwww!,” the treated water will NOT be used for household consumption. The project is one of several desperately needed treatment plans to help clean up the Metro Manila waters, which are labeled biologically dead due to waste water contamination.

This reminds me of a hill and stream I used to pass in Monticello, Illinois. The stream flowed at the base of the hill, and the hill was part of the town’s cemetery. I always wondered if any decomposition fluids or embalming fluids made their way into the creek, and if so, who used that creek water. I don’t know the answers, but ewww anyway.

- Julie

Sources:
http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=11982
http://server.pvao.mil.ph/newsandevents23.html

The cause could be a dietary or a virus, and the vets suspect it is fermented nectar. The parrots can’t tell the difference between fermented and unfermented nectar, so they don’t know not to drink it. At least they aren’t intentional drunks. Once intoxicated, the birds’ mood changes from kind of “obnoxious” to “friendly and jovial,” according to Veterinarian Lisa Hansen. I guess they aren’t imbibing enough to go full circle back to obnoxious like people do sometimes, especially in college.

As the more entertaining effects wear off, the birds get headaches (how do vets know that?), are lethargic, and seem really bummed out, much like humans with hangovers. The vets at the Ark Animal Hospital treat the birds with the avian equivalent of a college hangover cure: sweetened porridge and fresh fruit.

The possibility of an unknown illness still exists, however, so vets are still concerned about the parrots.

- Julie

Sources:
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/drunk-lorikeet-parrots-struggle-to-fly-in-australian-town-of-palmerston/19501157
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/06/03/sign-of-the-apocalypse-drunk-parrots-fall-from-the-trees-in-australia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiscoverMag+%28Discover+Magazine%29
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/828896-drunk-parrots-hit-by-mystery-illness-down-under

A thoughtful resident took the bird to the zoo in Sydney, where it is being put on a diet. I guess the bird probably wasn’t too hard to catch. It couldn’t fly, and I’ll bet it was too portly to run fast, too. Now the bird is getting fit, having thrice-daily sessions with a personal trainer. Darn, why don’t I get a free personal trainer when I eat too many sausages?

Once the bird is fit to fly, it will be released. Do you think it will relapse and regain the weight like many of us do?

- Julie

Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7795793/Obese-kookaburra-given-personal-trainer.html
http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArticle/CODD/noddlyEnoughNews_uUSTRE6513ZJ20100602?src=RSS-ODD
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/829080-obese-kookaburra-sent-to-fat-camp-after-eating-too-many-sausages